Meeting teachers from so many schools helps validate our collective struggle and optimism about Inclusion.

“I’ve already recommended it to a colleague for next year.

The presentations were practical, focused, and had immediate implications for my teaching on Monday. The most powerful PD is the kind that you can actually implement and it was great to have so many educators with concrete strategies.”

Learning about the office of Overseas Schools and their role. Reducing Bias and Supporting Children by Denise Padgett

Those were my two favorites!

Connections and resources sharing

The sessions on High Ability, and AI in learners with different profiles.
– Very rich discussions around support for High Ability and Gifted Students.
– AI oriented support discussions were very useful.

I loved that there were a variety of workshops to go to and was so well organised.

“Meeting like-minded educators from around the world.
Lots of good strategies were exchanged during casual conversations and networking.
Anita Churchville’s pre-conference session was a big highlight.
So many familiar faces from last year’s conference – it felt like a big, warm reunion :)”

The variety of topics/sessions is really good

I loved the wide variation of session topics that were available and the highly practical suggestions and ideas that came with each of them. The sessions were excellent but the conversations I was able to have with other teachers in my position were just as meaningful for my professional development. Learning support can be an isolating position sometimes and it was so inspiring to meet people doing similar work to me but in slightly different ways. I already feel like I’m a better learning support teacher because of this conference.

I also really enjoyed the SENIA teacher rep meetup.

I really like the division of presentations and reasonable timing

I enjoyed the keynote speeches on both days; they’re both inspiring. I also loved the lunches as I got the chance to chat with the other attendees.

“The professional staff and helpers were amazing.
Some real quality presenters as well.
There was a wide range of sessions offered.”

The amount of fantastic presenters and colleagues sharing within sessions. The warmth that the school and SENAI staff welcomed everyone with. The high level of experts within our field that were relevant and forward thinking.

“Too many to mention! What great keynotes – they had me in tears so many times. 🙂

The sessions were really informative and the speakers were well-prepared.

The food was incredible and conference was well-planned. Great venue.

Everyone was so friendly!”

“Some excellent workshops! Great for the opportunities to meet with like-minded and like-jobbed teachers across the globe!
Extras were great as well, such as the craft market, student panel – this was excellent.”

The level of expertise and knowledge of the presenters are excellent. In addition, I appreciate their positive attitudes, willingness to explain concepts and ahare ideas, clarity of visual aids and handouts, and opportunities to ask questions. Thank you SENIA for organizing this wonderful event!

The experiences shared by many speakers and how these impacted their perspectives about their own teaching and learning.

“The keynote speakers were fantastic and relevant. I enjoyed the networking and being with peers from across the globe, in a space where we all understand and speak the language of inclusion. Most of all, I appreciated having a choice of workshops that were relevant to areas I work specifically in and hearing how others are doing things.
Thank you to all the orgainsers- you did an incredible job!”

“I loved to focus on building sustainable system for schools. Presenters who had workshops around this topic did a great job of breaking this huge concept into manageable chunks and really helped grow my knowledge around this area.
The SENIA conference is always a great place to meet likeminded professionals and share learning. I made meaningful connections with the topic and the attendees.

I loved the student helpers – they were very helpful in showing us around the school when needed and it was great to see them getting involved.”

The opportunity to connect and reflect across practices in schools all over the world.

I enjoyed all the topics I attended. I liked the idea of choosing my own area of attendance which gave me the opportunity to go to areas relevant to my teaching needs. The topics covered were practical. There was also a variety choice of topics with great enrichment although I could not attend some of the topics I needed. The organization was also good in so many areas. Having presenters posting notes and resources on the app will allow me to go back and download them without so much pressure. Transport to and fro hotels so efficiently organized. Thank you SENIA organizers.

It was so incredible to work, experience, the presenters, and just see people, face-to-face!
*** I already filled this out but didn’t print the certificate 🙂

The learning and community; the wealth of useful information

The speakers, especially the ones for Differentiating the difference between EAL, Learning support…etc, and the UDL workshop was AMAZING. The keynote speakers were also great.

I learned many good things and have ideas that i can do in my class.

Sessions were amazing!It was so wonderful to have a sensory-friendly space to watch the main sessions.

Speaker provide new things, useful for me to apply with my students (mindfulness, emotion)

My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed Andrew Hoover’s presentation. That was unexpected and very informative; just excellent.

I did enjoy having access to the slides prior to presentations. I greatly appreciate the variety of presenters. Having all of the Cynthia board members in T-shirts made it easy to find people and ask questions. I greatly appreciated hearing from variety of groups, educators, companies, parents and students.

I really loved the sessions on EAL and Learning Differences, Regulation before Education, and the Tier 1 UDL session. All of those were really high caliber and included great information that is useful and applicable right away. I loved walking away with resources and action steps!

Meeting so many people, hearing innovative ideas, and being able to bounce ideas off other people. There were so many insightful sessions that were full of helpful information.

It was great to walk away with strategies I can use immediately and resources I can modify to my environment/students.

It was a conference that provided opportunities to make connections and share a common language. The keynote speakers and presenters provided provocations and space for us to stretch our system’s edges. This is such an important conference for leaders and practitioners to attend so that authentic collaboration can truly emerge in our schools that ensures that learning is accessible for all and helps us create a more just world for our young people.

The speakers’ enthusiastic sharing of knowledge and tools to reduce work overload. As well as the speakers’ experience, expertise, and enthusiasm made me more motivated effort to participate in the conference throughout the three days.

“The learning support people in attendance were validated – you could feel how happy they were to be among their peers in this special way.
A good variety of topics were covered during the sessions.
I liked that the food was ‘pre-paid’ – we didn’t have to mess about with money at lunch time, just grab what we wanted and go!
Student helpers were great.
I liked the option of hearing the key note speakers in the theatre, or live-streamed in the other rooms. The choice accommodated different types of learners.
The 3 days (2 + pre-conference) made the trip worthwhile.
The social & craft sale were good too!
Nice work, everyone!”

SENIA Board rocked it!

“This was my first SENIA conference and I will prioritize it as part of my PD from here on out! I really enjoyed being in an atmosphere with like-minded people. As a Grade 3 homeroom teacher I think it is so important to spread the word of this work. I have already begun doing that!

I enjoyed all of the sessions I attended but was particularly impacted by the pre-conference deep dive with Jessica Wei Huang.”

“I really enjoyed the wide range of options for workshop sessions. It was nice that some sessions were repeated, too, so that you didn’t necessarily have to miss out.
I particularly got a lot out of the session with Heidi from SAS on distinguishing the difference between EAL needs versus Language Impairment versus SLD. I would recommend having her speak at future conferences!”

I totally enjoyed networking. All the sessions were very insightful and engaging. It was wonderful to be able to connect with like-minded colleagues and to learn about what other schools are doing.

I enjoyed the variety of presentations, the food was great, Networking time was fun and the happy hour with meeting so many others was a blast. The live band also Rocked!

Thank you SENIA and International School of Ho Chi Minh. I enjoy the experience of meeting amazing speakers and educators around the world. The topics given are very hands-on and help me to scaffold myself on the importance of inclusion in every aspect of students’ learning journey. I look forward to joining the SENIA conference in 2025. Special thank you to the SENIA team that has been so wonderful in organizing this amazing event.

Loved lots of little things like announcement reminders, signage, grab and go food at lunch, general organisation was good!

The networking. Lots of wonderful inclusive journeys by schools shared.

Besides one of the keynote speakers the rest of the presentation were amazing!!!

As a first time in-person conference attendee, I came away being honored to be a part of a global organization that is driving forward the mission of creating a more inclusive world. Often times, the work that we do can feel isolating and heavy day in and day out, yet my entire team came away with a greater focus on the “why.” The breakout sessions allowed each member to select topics relevant to their interests and schoolwide focus, therefore, increasing our overall capacity as a school. At times, we were reminded that we are doing good work as we were able to share our own journey and at other times we were inspired by those who have gone before and could impart their wisdom. The conference staff were incredible; they were present, supportive, and organized. I liked that it was easy to recognize them throughout the conference and that students also provided support. The school was lovely and a tremendous host. Breakouts by and large were effective.

It being my first SENIA conference, it was amazing to be around so many light minded individuals and acquire knowledge to better myself and the student(s).

Excellent communication leading up to the conference. Fantastic location and great food. The pre-session with Jessica and sessions with Renee, Alejandro and the Advisory team (from ISHCMC and ICSA — I can’t recall their names…) were inspiring and left me with tools I can apply immediately.

The ability to share and discover ways other schools are making great changes in the right direction

It was an incredibly enriching experience. The workshop provided valuable insights into creating inclusive environments in educational settings. I learned about various strategies and best practices that I am excited to implement in my school to better support all students.

I loved the pre conference workshop with Jessica where she did a beautiful build up across the day aligned with themes of belonging and identity. This permeated other presentations across the conference and felt really impactful and cohesive.

I enjoyed the Pre-conference workshops, the Student Panel & the opportunity to Network with participants.

I enjoyed every session I went to. I came with certain questions and I am happy to go back with the answers. So thank you for this amazing community.

As special educators, many things that were discussed are what we already do but it’s always good to have a refresher and hear other perspectives. Great meeting so many people in the field and realizing that some struggles are universal! Was an enriching three days.

The speakers and sessions were incredible. It was a really meaningful conference.

I loved the full day pre-conference with Jessica. Getting to go deeper with a full day was helpful and gave time for us to think of issues within our own school settings that we want to go back and bring change to.

All of it. The presenters were great. The networking opportunities was nice.

“Presenting
Sharing with others
The expertise and passion”

Meeting other colleagues and listening to their stories from a different school perspective.

Organisation was incredible. SENIA members were easily identifiable and available to chat and answer questions. Attendees were lovely people and enthusiastic. It’s incredible what you guys have done since you started in that basement all those years ago! There will be at least the same four of us coming again next year.

Keynote speakers were dynamic. They both had messages that continue to linger with me and challenge me to grow personally and professionally.

I loved most of the workshops I attended and the networking.

Connecting with other teachers and schools; hearing from parents and students.

I found the breakout sessions I attended to be well done and meaningful. I have a few things that I am excited to put into practice in the next couple of weeks. The networking opportunities were also well worth the trip, it’s great to connect with likeminded individuals from around the world.

I enjoyed many different interesting topics which directly related to my job. I like it when there’re many choices to choose. Also I got to meet people who face the similar situations and share those experiences to each other. That makes joining the conference meaningful to me.

The speakers were experts in their field and also inspiring. It helped to have people to have guidance on each floor including the students. I appreciated the variety of healthy snacks and lunch choices. Also, having a shuttle bus helped a lot. Thank you!

Great location, presenters, networking, raffles, and snacks! Different feel achieved in a positive way.

I liked that there were a kot of sessions to choose from and that people were not restricted to the sessions they initially signed up for.

I loved networking with other like minded individuals. It validated the high quality programming our school currently has and how far we have come. I thought the conference was very well organized and thought out. There was one session with SAS on EAL where I had a major take away.

So many wonderful, knowledgeable presenters! The presenters that provided their (very valuable) resources made it easier to engage knowing we could access the info later. Thank you, what an engaging and insightful conference!

I absolutely loved the pre conference on gifted learners! It was a long day, but every bit was insightful and meaningful. I also especially loved Patricia Moore’s keynote, and am grateful for the chance to connect with other like-minded professionals in the field. The conference was smooth and well-organised, and I had everything I needed as a presenter. Thank you!!!

“Great organization of everything.
Great communication.
Lots of opportunities for networking.
Great presenters.
Great food.
Thanks!!”

The sessions & keynotes gave me a lot of inspiration & takeaways that I can put into action as soon as I return to my school. That has made the trip absolutely worth it!

The sessions were very practical and helpful, especially since I learned new tools that I can use with my students. I also love that there were sessions where we could hear directly from parents and students about their school and personal experiences. Overall, it was a great conference. Thank you!

The keynote speakers were amazing, very inspirational.

Loved it all. The networking, sessions, learning, getting new ideas, the host school was amazing! Great food, loved the happy hour and vendors. Whova is wonderful, too – great resource and easy to access info. First conference in 7 years, loved it!

Main speakers were inspiring!

“Food was good
Loved the two keynotes
Organization was amazing”

The presentations were wonderful and it was great meeting with professionals around the world.

Conferences with practical tools

The variety of workshops was amazing. I wish I could have gone to more.

Opening address was heartwarming and meaningful. I learned new things about SENIA for eg logo was designed by a student, and SENIA’s evolution over the years.

The best thing we can do to support students with needs/challenges is to hear what they have to say—and notice how they are perceiving and participating in learning experiences. We must ride the silver linings wave and create experiences that embrace and embed student voice and perspective. And when in doubt of how best to support students—just ask them!

the topics are interesting and I am able to find a session that meets my needs at every time frame

“Jessica Wei Huang was outstanding- both the pre- conference and her amazing keynote. Lots of great connections and lots of learning.a deep dive into inclusion, belonging and identity. I am going back richer for having been here.” All the many connections, the excellent organization, great reception by the host school, delicious food, lots of warm friendly faces around and lots of GREAT learning. I am definitely richer for having attended.

It was great to connect with others in my field. I’m the only person in primary for learning support so just having someone to connect with was really beneficial. I also liked how all the sessions had a lot of interaction. Normally at a conference it can be so tiring if it is lecture based so it was nice we had opportunities to collaborate and learn from peers.

It was wonderful to network and speak with other people from different schools and hear their perspectives. I enjoyed the workshops most when there was a chance to talk with others and brainstorm together.

Discussions. Case studies. Pedagogy. networking opportunities.